The Herpes Vaccine: On its way or still a dream?

Herpes is a word that is signals fear and a lifelong tale of infection, pain, shame and misery. So far, there is no known cure for herpes, and anyone who does contract herpes will just have to deal with the matter. There are 24 million people in the United States of America who suffer from genital herpes. However, recent developments in research shows that there may be, in fact, an actual prevention for herpes.

Herpes Vaccine Yes or NoDoctors are constantly studying how herpes works in the body and what prevention mechanism the body takes in order to control it. On this certain case researchers are more interested in the kind of measures the immune system makes to stop the herpes virus from spreading. This is done by taking skin samples from those who are affected by herpes and have sores that are healing or skin that are not completely affected.

Doctors used to think that the herpes virus would travel from the nerve cell to the tip, causing painful sores at the skin. Since antibodies are not always available in every patient’s body, this case would be generally unhindered by anything from the immune system. However, they were in for a surprise.

After taking the skin samples, putting in the fluorescent stain and putting the sample under a powerful microscope, the doctors discovered a variety of cells with the immune system has to curb any virus outbreak. Their attention, in order to create a herpes vaccine, moved to a particular type of cell called CD8 killer T cells.

More About CD8 killer T cells

  • CD8 killer T cells do not work like the ordinary white blood cells.
    They do not produce antibodies which deactivate the body of the foreign particle. CD8 killer T cells do exactly what they were named for- they kill the virus infected cells in the body.
  • CD8 cells are discovered to be around the skin, guarding the nerve ends, from where the herpes virus usually appears and creates painful sores.
    Viruses work differently from other microorganisms. Viruses replicate by entering the cell of the host body; then the virus takes over the nucleus, and programs the cell to create copies of the virus, after which the virus copies burst out of the now very dead cell.
  • The CD8 killer T cells are thought to be the second base of protection in the body.
    If the cell is infected by viruses, the CD8 killer T cells release perforin, a chemical that instantly kills the cell in the body so that it can no longer create copies of the virus. Thus, the number of viruses do not increase. Researchers tested this phenomenon by placing CD8 killer T cells in an area with no herpes virus, and it did not release perforin, thus keeping the cells around t intact.
  • The CD8 killer T cells are capable of more than just killing off infected cells.
    Researchers observed that CD8 cells can release chemicals that will summon other CD8 cells to come to the scene of crime where the viruses are being fought.
  • CD8 killer T cells are also capable of remaining on the skin for an extended period of time.
    To add more, CD8 killer T cells also show signs of keeping memory, where it can recognize different types of infections.
  • Unlike many other immune cells, the CD8 killer T cells are known to exist in the skin, especially on the nerve endings where the herpes virus usually breaks out from.
    Since the patients being observed are herpes patients, this is the only form of behavior observed so far from the CD8 cells. In fact, doctors have discovered that the CD8 cells usually do a pretty good job in keeping the viruses at bay. The outbreaks, compared to the curbing that the CD8 does, are few and exceptional cases.

So are CD8 killer T cells the magical solution and prevention for genital herpes? Researchers have advised to not keep our hopes up too high. There is still very little known of the CD8 cells and what they are capable of. So, while we can sit and dream of a world where herpes is not a major threat, science has a long way to go to make CD8 cells the new penicillin.

Why Are More Teens Getting Herpes Than Ever Before?

Teens

The number and percentage of teenagers in the United States of America that are affected by genital herpes is overwhelmingly large. Such numbers have never been seen before in the history of statistics. Considering the amount of precautions, education and careful measures being taken today, this no doubt comes as a great surprise.

Studies show that teenagers in the recent times have proven to have less antibodies for any sexually transmitted disease that they might contract through sexual contact. The reason for this is quite strange, and surprising as well.

Throughout the recent years, people have become far more conscience regarding hygiene and take great measures to keep their children out of the way of even the simplest diseases. Fewer children are seen to even have a simple cold, and must follow strict hygiene discipline. Due to this, children are not exposed to many diseases which children of older generations used to contract, and hence their bodies are able to create fewer antibodies to protect themselves from any foreign body when they are older.

Herpes simplex virus 1, also known as HSV 1 is the cause of many common cold sores, which children would often contract during the colder months. These infections would be temporary, affect the oral region and soon go away, which the body learns to make the necessary antibodies to fight the virus. The body then codes the type of antibodies than the HSV 1 needed to be destroyed, so if the body is affected by HSV 1 again in any manner, it will be easy to get rid of. HSV 1 is usually spread by skin contact or saliva.

Due to the increased discipline and maintenance of hygiene as previously mentioned, less and less children are susceptible to common cold and cold sores. Hence, their bodies never learn to produce antibodies to fight off HSV 1, which is also a major source of genital herpes. In fact, statistics show that about 60% of the genital herpes caused is due to HSV 1.

According to studies, 14-19 year olds had a twenty-three percent fall in having antibodies for HSV 1. Furthermore, the fall continues to another nine percent for individuals between the age of 20 to 29. However, the availability of antibodies remained the same for people in their 30s and 40s, showing that the fall in the presence of antibodies for HSV 1 is a more recent occurrence, and not something common that always happened.

There are eight types of herpes, and out of them, HSV 1 and HSV 2 are capable of causing lifelong infections that have no known cure. While HSV 1 is spread by external physical contact, HSV 2 is a sexually contracted disease. These two types of diseases are dangerous, and are capable of causing a lot of damage to the body.

Statistics for HSV 1 and HSV 2 are rather frightening. According to studies, one out of ten individuals contract HSV 1 once they are sexually active. This also has the possibility of becoming neonatal herpes, where the herpes is transferred to the unborn fetus of a mother, if the mother is affected by HSV 1 as well. Once born, HSV 1 and HSV 2 can cause a lot of harm to the new born baby. Numbers show that thirty percent of the new born infants die due to severe cases of herpes.

Of course, there comes the question that how HSV 1, a virus that causes cold sores in the mouth, can lead to genital herpes. The answer lies in the increasingly popular sexual practices of the youth. Oral sex, where a person’s mouth is connected to another person’s genital areas, can directly transfer the HSV 1 virus into the genital area, thus acting as a direct transport into a story of lifelong infection. Oral sex is now more popular among teenagers than before, hence the simultaneous increase in genital herpes in teens. Furthermore, the additional lack of antibodies for HSV 1 in the teenagers encourage the HSV 1 virus to grow and create problems at an accelerated rate.

Hence studies have come to the conclusion that a lack of antibodies for the herpes virus and the practice of oral sex have led to the increase in genital herpes among teenagers.

Why Condoms are Important for Herpes

Genital herpes, also known as HSV 2, is a virus that causes infection and painful ulcers on a person’s genitalia. Genital herpes has no cure, so if someone once contracts genital herpes, it will stick around with them for life. Herpes causes painful sores on the skin around the genitals and rectum of a person, and is a sexually transmitted disease.

Condom is Important for HerpesSo how are herpes and condoms related? Well, the answer is obvious, of course. Condoms create a big difference in the chances of a person contracting a sexually transmitted disease from a sexual partner. Research shows that continuous use of condoms can cut down the chances of someone getting genital herpes by 30%. Condoms also help reduce the chances of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV at a substantial rate.

Research is still being conducted at to how affective using condoms is when it comes to genital herpes. While it is true that condoms can make an enormous difference in contracting most sexually transmitted diseases, researchers are not so keen as to coming to the same conclusion when it comes to genital herpes. However, 30% is still a good difference which can affect an individual or even the greater society.

The use of condoms provides equal protection for both men and women, as far as the research can conclude. Of course, having one sexual partner also reduces the possibility of contracting herpes to a significant amount as well. Studies also show that the percentage of risk or chances of contracting genital herpes increase with the number of unprotected sexual acts an individual chooses to do.

The difference in using and not using condoms, however, is still quite large, so researchers still encourage that condoms be used continuously to keep people sage, and have a lower chance of getting genital herpes.

The Herpes Stigma

The outbreak of genital herpes has made herpes a well-known sexually transmitted infection, however, this is usually where the “well-known” part ends. People usually treat herpes as a taboo topic, which dos not prove to be very beneficial for the society, as instead of shunning people with herpes, people should be aware of it.

Online polls were taken to see people’s view of herpes and some other sexually transmitted diseases. About five hundred people from the United States of America who claimed to have herpes and fourteen hundred who claimed they did not, had taken an online poll of this kind. The results show that herpes was on the second of the social stigma list, and HIV took first place.

Herpes Stigma

There were also questions of if people thought topics such as HIV, obesity, mental illness were taboo topics and should be avoided talking about. Many people opted for the choice that none of the topics were taboo. However, herpes was still top when it came to the list of taboos.

Many people even claimed that they would avoid having a relationship with someone who has genital herpes, and even go as far as to break up with someone if they found out that their partner does have herpes.

People infected by herpes have a tough time telling their partner about the infection. Most fear their partners might leave them, yet they still would choose to explain their situation. 36% of the people carrying the genital herpes virus claimed they tell their partners regarding the matter long before they participate in any sexual activity. Sadly, over half the people with herpes are constantly worried when it comes to spreading herpes to their partner.

The poll also showed that people with herpes are not comfortable talking about the matter with their partners. They would rather make an excuse to avoid sexual activity rather than explain if they had a herpes outbreak.

All About Herpes Shedding

Herpes is not necessarily about having painful sores and a miserable life. Many carriers of the herpes virus are not even aware that they have the herpes virus in them. This is due to the fact that not everyone shows symptoms of herpes infection, which is famously known for the painful sores it causes.

It is actually quite simple to find out if you carry HSV 2, or genital herpes virus. This is done by a simple blood test, where the test will find out of you have HSV 2, or herpes simplex virus 2 in your blood stream.

Herpes shedding, however, is a different matter altogether. Herpes “shedding” is referred to the spreading of the herpes virus through the genital and rectal area. Everyone who carries the virus in their blood stream will shed the virus up to a certain extent of time, even if they show no symptoms of having the virus. The problem with this is that you may be giving the virus to your sexual partner without even realizing it. Hence, it is always good to make sure where you can, so you can take the preventive measures and medication.

Herpes Transmission

A study had been carried out to see how often people “shed” the herpes virus in order to get an idea of what affects the increase or decrease of the shedding. Many people who volunteered for the study didn’t even know they had herpes until they were tested for it, so people with a variety of symptoms were a part of the study.

The study was conducted to about five hundred people starting from severe to no symptoms at all. They were swabbed daily to check for the HSV 2 infection. It was found out that even those who did not have any symptoms of herpes shed the virus at least ten percent of the time.

Some of the results show that both men and women shed the virus just as often, and men can shed the virus even through normal looking skin. Furthermore, someone who has HSV 1, or suffers from cold sores, shed the HSV 2 at the same rate as someone who did not have cold sores. More importantly, people who had seven or less outbreaks shed the herpes virus about 19% of the time, whereas people who had outbreaks eight times or more had a higher chance of about 31% of spreading the herpes virus.

There are still no known cure to totally stop the herpes infection in a person, and this is what makes herpes so frightening. However, there are methods through which you can cut out your chances of spreading herpes to your partner by half. Doctors recommend the use of condoms, as this will decrease the chances of spreading the virus. Certain drugs, such as valacyclovir, decrease the chances of herpes shedding as well. Last but not least, remember to tell your partner that you do have herpes, so preventive measures can be taken from both sides.

Tips For Managing Herpes Breakout More Effectively

As of yet there has been no cure found for Herpes, however, there have been numerous remedies discovered that can help you manage your herpes breakout more effectively. Living with herpes is definitely not easy and it can greatly affect the quality of your life. Herpes breakouts are common and it can be difficult to manage them if you don’t have proper knowledge about the disease. That is why we have decided to provide you with important tips that will help you in managing your herpes breakout more effectively.

Tips for Managing Your Herpes

There are some easy ways in which you can manage your herpes breakout and it can make life very easy for you when you are living with herpes. Here are some of them:

  • Avoid touching your herpes sores
  • Avoid all sexual contact till the symptoms disappear
  • Wash your hands frequently throughout the day
  • Keep your lesions clean and dry
  • Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitted clothing
  • Drink lots of water
  • Reduce stress in your life
  • Use ice packs to ease the pain in your genitals
  • Apply vitamin A and vitamin E directly on to the sores
  • Eat almonds, cereals, cashews, chocolate, corn, chicken, meat, nuts, seed and dairy products
  • Don’t consume citrus fruits or juices

Genital Herpes Pain Relief

People who are suffering from genital herpes may experience lots of discomfort and uncomfortable situations during their outbreak. It can be extremely distressing to experience a genital herpes outbreak and is embarrassing for the person, causing them stress and anxiety as well. It is recommended that you eliminate stress and anxiety from your life, since it can trigger an outbreak of the infection. Here are some tips to help you overcome genital herpes pain relief:

  • Apply cool non-herbal tea bags to the affected area
  • Take a long warm bath
  • Place ice-packs onto the affected area
  • Take ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin if you experience fever, pain, or aches during the herpes outbreak.

Herpes is not a condition that is pleasant and it can be quite painful, distressing and uncomfortable when you are dealing with a herpes outbreak. That is why it is recommended that you discuss all possible remedies for managing your herpes outbreak effectively.

Warning of Herpes Outbreaks

It is important that you take the time out to learn more about herpes and how it affects your life. The number of people living with herpes in the United States is growing every single day, and that is why you should pay more attention to the warnings of herpes outbreaks.

  1. Inform your partner about your condition as soon as you are diagnosed with herpes.
  2. Never engage in sexual activity with your partner during a herpes outbreak, since it increases the chance of transmission.
  3. If you experience a severe outbreak of herpes, you may need to get admitted to hospital so that proper medical and professional treatment can be administered to manage the outbreak.

With proper knowledge about herpes you can learn to manage your herpes breakout more effectively.

Trial Gel May Provide Limited Protection Against Herpes

It comes as no surprise that scientists all over the world tire away trying to find out remedies and defences against different types of diseases. According to a study done in South Africa, there happens to be a drug that is used to treat AIDS, which could be used to create a vaginal gel that could provide protection against herpes. Dr. Salim Abdool Karim is a crucial member of the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research. According to him, the potent gel is known as the tenofovir gel, a drug that could be the best form of guard against the disease for women, if only it receives approval and gets mass-produced.

As most people understand, genital herpes is a terrifying condition that infects even the best of us. While it is not fatal, it has its set of physical, mental and social implications that tend to bring down the patients. In South Africa, the rate of herpes infection is as high as 50-60%. Moreover, in the Sub-Saharan Africa, the rate is as sky-high as 80% among women! According to the gel research team, most genital ulcers are the result of genital herpes.

Condoms are, without a doubt, the best form of protection against genital herpes. However, they do not allow the coverage of the entire groin area, which leaves people with the chance of still acquiring it via contact.

A placebo gel is an inert gel that was used in a controlled experiment to test the efficacy of the tenofovir gel. What the experts did was provide the gel to a group of women (422 of them, to be exact), which resulted in an astounding annual infection rate of just 10.2%! In comparison, the women who took the placebo gel showed an annual infection rate of 21%. Basically, half of these women were given applicators along with the placebo gel, while the other half received applicators with the tenofovir gel. The key was to apply the gel within 12 hours before they had sex and within 12 hours after they had had sex. The results were taken off from the results seen over the course of 18 months. The gel worked finest for all those women who swore to use it at all times: the presence of the drug in the vagina decreased the chances of acquiring herpes to as low as 6% only.

Dr. Celum, also known as the director of the International Research Center at the University of Washington, agreed that the risks of herpes were highly reduced with the help of the gel. According to Dr. Celum, this gel holds a lot of importance, since there is a lack of methods of preventing the transfer of genital herpes during sex, aside from the use of condoms.

Dr. Salim has informed us that those who assume that taking tenofovir tablets might do the trick are mistaken. Although there will be a certain degree of effect, it will not do the same job as the tenofovir gel. The effect of tenofovir was found when working with HIV; oral tenofovir could very well prevent and treat HIV, reducing the chances of acquiring it to just 39%. Probably one of the best finds about this gel is that it has almost no side effects: the only possible side effect is a chance of facing diarrhoea. Since it is a gel formulation, a very low amount will be absorbed into the blood supply of the user, which will ensure least possible side effects. This fact will only encourage women to make use of the gel to the maximum. A few individuals voiced the fear of the tenofovir gel affecting the internals of the women who use it, such as the bones, kidneys, etc. However, the researchers have stated that the gel will most certainly not cause such harm to the body.

Possibly the biggest question concerning this gel is: how well are women going to embrace it and put it to use? Regarding the matter, Dr. Salim Karim has said that the marketing of the tenofovir gel depends entirely upon the degree of which women believe themselves to be at risk. He has also mentioned that most women do not really understand the graveness of the risk of acquiring herpes, today.

Spreading Herpes Unintentionally

New research has been pointing fingers at the female population. It seems that the research suggests that female youngsters may be the ones promoting the spread of the herpes virus. Kenneth Fife of Indiana University School of Medicine states that there is a chunk of the female population that has never been tested for herpes, has not shown a single sign of having herpes, but is still shedding the virus every now and then.

Kenneth Fife

Kenneth Fife

Supposedly, at least one out of five youngsters and adults has herpes. Often, it is genital herpes that is caused by herpes simplex virus 2. Kenneth and his team members studied exactly 127 women, all of whom were 14 to 18 years old. After 4-6 years of observation, it was found that only 3 women had been diagnosed with type 2 herpes. The rest of the women never went in for a test, and yet, about two thirds of the 127 were shedding the virus. Even more surprisingly, a group of these women who had been tested negative at first, were tested positive the second time round.

Kenneth expressed his worry, since most of these women never showed signs of genital herpes. Even though some women may have had the likes of vaginal discharges, they were not out of the ordinary; other factors could cause such discharges to take place.

There was another study carried out where patients who have had genital herpes for over a decade, still showing virus shedding for 14% of the year.

The studies shed light on the fact that hormonal contraception such as the pill could lower the defences of a woman’s body, making her susceptible to genital herpes. A group of researchers from Albert Einstein School of Medicine studied some women aged from 18 to 25. They were all generally healthy, showing antimicrobial properties in their vaginal fluid. However, some women who were on contraception showed lesser antimicrobial properties in comparison. The researchers did say however, that this study was small, which is why a larger research needs to be carried out to confirm their findings.

The Neurological Impediments Connected To Genital Herpes

Highly responsible for neurological indisposition, genital herpes has managed to affect over 40 million individuals in the United States of America. This mind-boggling high number is said to be increasing at the rate of a million per year! Varicella zoster virus, herpes simplex virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus type 2, all have an impact on the patient’s nervous system. Below, we are talking about this in details:

The Initial Infection

Neurological diseases that are connected to genital herpes may get triggered due primary infection or the reactivation of the dormant genital herpes virus. Primary genital herpes in adolescents and adults can be void of symptoms, which is why they usually have no clue about it.

Dormancy and Reactivation

It is said that the neurons in the sacral ganglia are where the virus lies dormant. Although only the reactivation of oral herpes has only been studied so far, experts assume that the mechanism of that of genital herpes will not be too different. Dormant herpes infections reactivate with the help of systemic stimuli, via pathways that still have not been discovered or understood. It has been observed that most people struck with genital herpes shed a certain amount of the herpes virus, regardless of the reactivation of the virus.

The Neurological Difficulties

Not only is the meninges affected by the genital herpes virus by the occurrence of meningitis, the brain, nerve roots, retina, cranial nerves, etc. are affected too.

  • Neonatal Encephalitis
    About 70% of the infants that are infected by herpes are born to women who not only unaware of the fact that they had herpes, but also never showed any signs of the disease. At least 30% of the cases of herpes among infants are just oral herpes. There are several factors that prove to be risky for neonates, starting from the age of the mother to time during when the mother contracted herpes herself. Distribution of the virus to the central nervous system occurs in 70% of the herpes struck infants. Dispersed intravascular coagulations, skin lesions and unusual liver operation are observed in many of these neonates. Cranial MRIs show edema, then cystic encephalomalacia.
  • Recurrent Aseptic Meningitis Among Adults:
    This occurs due to herpetic mucocutaneous disorder, regardless of the presence of symptoms. From 19% to 42% patients experience meningitis with the first episode of type 2 herpes. Suppressive therapy could be used in this scenario: patient could take famciclovir, acyclovir sodium and valacyclovir hydrochloride. Many of these meningitis patients are known to complain about bad headaches, besides phases of total confusion.
  • Radiculopathy:
    40% of sacral dorsal root ganglia are seen having a latent form of herpes simplex virus type 2. This matter was unearthed during the autopsy of several individuals. Radiculopathy that is caused by genital herpes happens to affect specific areas, such as the sacral or lumbar nerve roots. Radiculopathy causes pain, leg weakness, constipation and even urinary retention. Radiculopathy could be cured in a matter of days or weeks, and could be hurried with the intake of antiviral drugs.
  • Retinal Necrosis:
    Shown with the presence of impaired vision and red eye, retinal necrosis seems to affect genital herpes patients (with a median age of about 20 years) and mostly older people. When examined properly, retinal necrosis shows retinal detachment, keratic precipitates and scleritis.
  • Ascending Myelitis:
    This is seen mostly in patients who have a weakened immune system, especially those who have already contracted the HIV virus. Along with pain and lesions, ascending myelitis also shows enlargement of the lower cord of the spine, added with limb numbness.
  • Cranial Neuropathy:
    The dysfunction of the cranial nerves leads to Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. Even though there are experts who argue that Bell’s palsy cannot occur due to genital herpes, there are others who accept that varicella zoster virus and herpes simples type 1 virus do in fact cause Bell’s palsy. Whoever has such cases are recommended to take antiviral drugs everyday.

Connection Between Genital Herpes and HIV

Recent studies have found a connection between genital herpes virus and HIV. It seems that if you have genital herpes, there is twice or thrice the chance of you acquiring HIV too. Moreover, if you do have genital herpes and you are taking antiviral drugs as part of suppressive therapy, the RNA levels of HIV will show a significant drop too.

Treatment

Vidarabine phosphate was actually the first agent that showed efficacy when it came to treating herpes. After two large studies done on acyclovir, it was chosen as part of standard treatment/therapy for all herpes patients. An oral intake of valacyclovir is also recommended, along with the acyclovir.

Infants could take acyclovir sodium, while patients of meningitis, radiculitis and myelitis could have it too.

Treat Herpes In Natural, Side-Effect Free Methods

Some Information On Herpes

A STD (sexually transmitted disease), herpes could be of two types: oral and genital herpes. In total, there are eight types of herpes virus, each responsible for a specific type of problem. Some of the consequences include chicken pox, brain infection, etc. While oral herpes occurs due to the herpes simplex type 1 virus, genital herpes is a result of herpes simplex type 2 virus.

Researchers find that somewhere between 50-80% of the population of the United States of America has oral herpes, while one in four of American adults have genital herpes. Needless to say, those who have become sexually active at quite a young age and those who have several sexual partners are at a higher risk of having genital herpes.

Unfortunately, no cure has been discovered for herpes. When an outbreak occurs, no drugs are available that could bring down the fever and the pain. Moreover, there is no form of drug that could help expel the virus from the patient’s body. What these individuals can do is keep the outbreaks in control and take care of the sores and blisters, in order to prevent the transmission of the infection to others around them or close to them.

Herpes patients have the choice of taking different types of antiviral drugs for maximizing the time span between two outbreaks. Some of these medications include Famciclovir, Aciclovir, Penciclovir and Valaciclovir. The original drug available was Aciclovir, from which the rest emerged, less costly to purchase and use. A side effect of these drugs is diarrhoea, which is why many patients take non-diarrhoea tablets along with their herpes drugs.

Natural Cure to Herpes

There are a number of factors due to which herpes patients are not completely satisfied with the medications they are making use of. For instance, patients that have any problems with their immune response cannot handle any oral therapy sessions. Furthermore, certain topical creams are said to have low effect. Fortunately, there are some natural methods of controlling the outbreaks. Additionally, there is said to be a cure for herpes that is still being developed and tested to ensure 100% efficacy, known as the Wonder Cure.

Some of the natural extracts and components that could help you keep your herpes outbreaks under control include:

  • Lemon Balm: When used topically as an ointment, lemon balm is said to have a soothing, relieving effect. According to a research in 1993, 115 who applied lemon balm to their herpes sores and blisters were examined after eight days of religiously using the balm. The infected blisters were seen healing in 96% of this group, a result of applying the balm five times a day. It is said that there are certain herbs in the lemon balm that has antiviral properties, which does its magic on herpes lesions.
  • Garlic: This is show to inhibit the effect of various viruses, including herpes. Garlic has been used by people since ancient times.
  • Samento Extract: Available in liquid form and in the form of pills, samento extract are found in several rainforests around the world. According to ancient folks, this is a blessing for the immune system. Since herpes outbreaks take place when your immune system takes a blow, samento extracts can very well help with the matter. These extracts could be taken along with a cup of tea.
  • Goldenseal: This too is believed to have antiviral properties, which is why they can be taken with tea or in capsules.
  • Licorice Root: The roots have a compound known as glycyrrhizic acid, which has shown permanent deactivation of the herpes virus in vitro. However, the extensive use of licorice root has shown loss of potassium from the body, along with sodium retention. Therefore, individuals with high blood pressure must consult their doctors before settling with the use of licorice root.
  • Tea Tree Oil: Acknowledged as a cure for almost any types of open sores, tea tree oil is usually concentrated. Only a little amount is require d to show maximum potency, which is why a patient could apply it onto herpes sores, blisters and infected areas via a tiny dropper.

The last step to naturally keep your herpes in check is by trying to best to remain fit and healthy. This means exercising, following a balanced diet, keeping yourself unstressed and keeping a mile away from the likes of tobacco and alcohol. If you are into sports, such as tennis or squash, give it a shot. Otherwise, yoga can be your new best friend.